Of Blood and Smoke

Chapter 22

TWENTY-TWO

Della

“That’s a bit.... presumptuous of you,” I murmured, having to look away. The sheer intensity billowing from Josiah nearly immobilized me again and I tucked into myself. “You can’t force things like that. Wait—how have you been making me unable to move?”

I’d asked, but then realized how crazy it sounded. There was no way anyone could do that to another person. Quickly, I asked, “Is there any way we can get to know each other first?”

Was I really doing this? My head hurt, trying to navigate all the different feelings assaulting me. I was highly attracted to him. More than highly. I wanted to impale myself on his cock and ride him until the sun rose. I felt my cheeks heating again; this was crazy. I felt like a drunken moth flapping its wings as hard as it could, desperately flying into the bug zapper light without a care in the world.

Josiah said there were rules against dating and as the head of an entire company, I could understand that. I’d already been accused of being favorited. How this would all work was beyond me. He was unlike anyone I’d ever met but with the fiery chemistry between us, maybe it was worth exploring?

He stood there staring at me as if the thought of getting to know someone else was foreign to him but then he said, “Of course.”

Still trembling a little, I replied, “If I don’t like you, you’re going to stay away from me.” If I didn’t end up liking him, I would be screwed. It would mean my dad getting kicked out of care and me losing the apartment I’d just gotten. I wouldn’t be able to stay at Ipomoea.

Or would I? It would end up being the most uncomfortable situation I’d ever been in—but it kinda already was. Really, it couldn’t get any worse.

Was I really considering this? Maybe I was just really horny. That had to be it.

A long sigh dragged out of me.

Josiah took another step closer, and I put my weight on my hands, intending to back up on the mattress, when he moved his arm and pointed two fingers at me. I froze, and an icy sensation wound through me, competing with my desire to reach for his hand.

“You’ll give yourself to me freely, I won’t force you.”

His mysterious eyes glittered and swirled in the low light, and I couldn’t look away. “You say that like you think you could, though.” I countered, ignoring his contradiction. “And what about work?”

“Honestly, I could,” he admitted. “But that’s not what I want from you and there’s no need for it. Behave in the same manner at the office. Perhaps stop panicking whenever you are near me?” He grinned.

He brushed a fallen strand of hair back. “Your fear is a delicacy I savor; I may miss it,” he remarked, wistfully.

Another smile from the tyrant and I was beginning to think I was hallucinating. “Jesus, can you stop that?” I muttered. Josiah’s smiling would bring about the apocalypse if he kept it up.

The man’s oddities confused me, and I let out another deep sigh. I’d always heard billionaires were eccentric and my boss filled the two categories. The attention he’d just drawn to my fear of him bugged me and I determined I’d do my best to calm down when I was at work. I hadn’t realized it was so obvious.

When I opened my mouth to tell him I wasn’t so scared of him anymore, he was gone. He’d disappeared like a ghost, making me jump off the bed. “Josiah?” I called out.

He was nowhere to be seen. I walked out into the living room and ambled through the stacks of boxes. The drone of the air conditioner sounded, as well as muffled noises from the hall as I listened for any signs of life in my home.

Dumbfounded, I lowered myself onto the couch. What the hell was going on? Deciding I’d spaced out too much to hear him say goodbye, I groaned out loud and punched the garbage bag stuffed with curtains beside me in frustration.

A thrill ran through my heart thinking of Josiah. He was strong, powerful, mysterious, and apparently obsessed with me. There was no denying his effect on my body or my draw to him. I could only imagine what being a part of his world would be like.

I’d always fantasized about living a different life, one where doors opened easily, and I didn’t have to worry about money and my family was taken care of. I’d drooled over the glamourous photos on social media with hash tags like “elite” or “luxury” and I’d thought I’d gotten closer when I got hired at Ipomoea. Maybe I did—but Josiah was a part of that once seemingly unattainable world. Maybe I’d get a peek, see how the other half lived?

There was too much at stake, if this all fell apart and I somehow lost my job. I’d lose everything. But like a toddler climbing onto a countertop for a cookie, I was going to try and see where it went with the man I couldn’t stay away from, even if I crashed and burned.

I ended up falling asleep on the couch.

A firm pounding sound woke me up and I went and opened the door. “What the hell, Della. You overslept,” Brett admonished me.

“Crap, I know. Sorry.”

“Whatever. Are you going to get dressed? You’re gonna be late.” He shook his head at me.

It was too early for this. “Give me a chance, I just woke up.” I stomped to the bathroom and did what I had to do, putting clothes on and getting prepared for the day.

“I made coffee,” Brett announced, sliding a cup toward me when I returned. He had two travel mugs, and I grabbed the one in front of me.

Taking a sip, I thought of the not-so-mysterious-anymore cups that would appear on my desk. Brett made a decent brew, but nothing like what I had at work. “Thanks.”

The movers came exactly at nine and loaded up their truck, Brett supervising the whole process for some reason. The team worked fast and efficiently, and his running commentary was likely unneeded.

We were outside when I noticed my car was gone. “Umm, where’s my car?”

A sinking feeling filled my belly when I thought of how I’d have to report a missing or stolen vehicle. “I’m just gonna let it go, I don’t want to deal with this,” I said. There was no point, I could buy another, now.

Brett grinned. “I had it towed to my Ma’s.”

“What? You didn’t even ask me!”

He shrugged. “What were you gonna do? Push it across town?” I rolled my eyes at him.

The lead worker walked up to us, as a couple men slammed the back of the box truck shut and locked it. “All good, we’ll meet you there,” the man told us.

He hopped into the cab, and we followed in Brett’s vehicle. The drive was about thirty minutes and the closer we got, the more excited I became. I’d finally made it. I’d broken out of the poverty cycle my dad and I’d been plunged into, and we entered a brand-new era.

Unconsciously, I reached over and squeezed Brett’s free hand. I hadn’t realized what I’d done until he looked down at me and smiled, a smidgen of hope flittering across his face.

I released him and returned my hand to my lap, rubbing my leg. “Thank you for helping with everything, I appreciate it. Just keep my car, I’ll buy a new one at some point.”

“I know,” he said, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Where’d you get this car?” I didn’t remember him owning a Lexxus and this was a pretty nice, new one.

“Borrowed it from one of the guys. Told him I was helping you.”

“Oh.”

We pulled into the parking lot and went to my assigned spot. The area was lightly landscaped, for the small space, and much, much cleaner than my previous home. It had manicured bushes and shrubs, and pretty, orange lilies bordering the area rather than the blunt wrappers, fast food bags, needles and god-knows-what-else I’d gotten used to.

Glancing around I noticed the better cars. Newer model Toyotas, Acura's, and a few German-made vehicles littered the parking lot, sans bullet holes and plastic bag-wrapped windows.

A black full-sized foreign car with deeply tinted windows idled by a curb close to the front entry way but not blocking it. Another sign I was moving up in the world. I felt Brett tense beside me and heard him mutter something under his breath as he exited the vehicle.

Ignoring his mood swing, I followed and entered the foyer, letting the front desk know I’d arrived with the movers. When I walked back out, my workers were shuffling around the back of the truck, taking their time while watching something just out of my line of sight.

It didn’t take me long to figure out what was going on.

“If anything happens to her, you’re fucking dead,” Brett sneered, pulling out his phone.

Josiah came over to me and kissed the top of my head, surprising me. “Good morning,” he said, ignoring my friend. “I trust you slept well?”

“Not so much gossip anymore, is it?” Brett bit out, glaring at me. “Fuck this shit, Della. What’s wrong with you?”

Josiah spun around. “You will not speak to her like that,” he warned him. “Do you understand me?”

Placing a hand on his forearm, I said, “Josiah.” I felt rather than saw his eyes on me, his gaze blocked by the ever-present shades.

“Seeing as you have help, I’m leaving,” Brett announced. He marched back to his car before peeling out of the parking lot, leaving me gaping. He’d left before I could say anything.

I hung my head in my hands and then dragged them down my face. “Why are you here?” I asked my unexpected guest.

Josiah moved his head up a fraction of an inch and three men exited the black car and began walking over. “What’s going on?” I asked.

The movers took my new keys from my outstretched hand and started unloading the truck and bringing my stuff inside. “Making your day easier,” Josiah said.

He stepped away and addressed the men that had come with him. The elegant sedan with blacked-out windows was his, I realized.

A million thoughts raced through my head, and I didn’t hear what he was saying but the team followed my crew into the building.

Josiah began heading back toward me and I met him halfway. “You didn’t have to do this, I have movers,” I stated.

“It's just a precaution.”

“Against what?” I really wished he didn’t have the sunglasses on all the time, it was annoying not being able to fully communicate with him. I had no idea what he was thinking.

“Would you like breakfast?”

“What? I don’t know; why did you bring people here? Who are they?”

His chest heaved as if he were irritated before he let out a sigh. “These are my men. They are going to make sure yours are efficient and then they will unpack for you.”

“I don’t want anyone going through my stuff. It's my stuff, my personal things. Tell them to stop,” I objected. I needed to get in there and direct the crew to where I wanted furniture placed. There was too much going on, I was stressed out enough as it was and here was my home invader, showing up and making it all worse. How was this supposed to work, again?

I’d always taken care of everything and had as much control over my life as I possibly could, and I was doing a damn good job of it. I didn’t need a babysitter.

“I’m going inside,” I announced. I stopped for a moment and looked at him. Too much was going on around me before to notice, but shockingly, he wasn’t wearing a dress shirt. Instead, he had on a form-fitting cashmere long-sleeved shirt that highlighted everything. Maybe I could use his people to help because if he stuck around, I wouldn’t get any work done by staring at him all day.

He held perfectly still, as if he weren’t even breathing while I eye-fucked him. Swallowing, I said, “I need to go inside.”

Hours later, I had separated the boxes I didn’t want touched from the ones that I ended up giving permission for Josiah’s men to open. My moving company had arranged everything where I wanted it and left with what I’d assume was an unusually large tip, based on the reaction to the stack of bills they shoved into their pockets.

Take-out food was delivered, and I firmly put my foot down when Josiah said he’d have groceries brought in. I’d packed the contents of my old fridge; it wasn't like I didn’t have food, but apparently, he thought I needed more.

I was sitting on my couch eating a burrito while he sat typing away on his phone. I was still ogling him, but it struck me how casual he appeared, legs sprawled with his elbows resting on his knees. I’d never seen him anything but stiff and formal—outside of when he had his hands all over me or his mouth glued to my pussy in the middle of the night.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” I asked him.

He slid his glasses off and placed them on the low table in the center of the living room. “I don’t consume that type of food very often.”

“Everybody likes Mexican,” I said, with a grin.

His jaw slid to the side before he answered. “I prefer French, Miss DuBois.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had French food; I can’t remember.” Crumpling the paper wrapper, I stood and tossed it into the under-counter waste basket and washed my hands. My dad was a proud Frenchman but as far as I knew, he’d never prepared any of the culture’s dishes.

Leaning back, I took in my new living space. Even with the packing materials scattered around, the place was sparkling, clean, and fresh. It didn’t have the dinginess or stale air I had become so accustomed to.

Apparently, it even came with my overbearing boss, I mused before I snickered. It was surreal that he was reclining in my living room. He was like a demon, pretending to hate me during the day and then sneaking into my bed at night.

The apartment had a guest bedroom where I’d had my father’s items set up and my heart twinged. It was highly unlikely he’d ever see the inside of my new home, but I remained hopeful. Miracles could happen, and I had to believe they would.

I’d checked in with his doctor earlier as I hadn’t been to his rehab center for several days. Between work and getting ready to move, there hadn’t been much time. She’d said there’s been no changes in him. None were better than a turn for the worse, I suppose.

“How do you move so fast?”

Josiah was by my side when I looked up. “Are you okay?” he asked.

He curled an arm around me and tugged me close as I stiffened. “I am. Was just thinking about my dad, that’s all.” I pulled away slightly. “I’m sorry; I want to be close to you but it's kinda weird with you, um, in daylight.”

“How were you getting into my apartment before?” I had never asked him, and it’d been weighing on my mind.

“I picked the locks.”

“But I had deadbolts, multiple. And chains and bars.”

He placed his hands on my shoulders, and I met his onyx gaze. “It's an art,” he replied.

I nodded. It seemed impossible, but I’d heard of professional thieves gaining entry into the most secure of homes, and even museums. It seemed there was no end to what a determined person could do.

He’d never answered a question I’d asked him earlier and figured it was worth a shot to try again. “Every time you showed up, I was—or I felt, paralyzed. Like, I couldn’t move anything but my eyes. It scared me at first. That didn’t happen until you.”

I paused, thinking some more. “At least, I don’t remember it happening?” My last sentence ended with a question although I didn’t expect an answer from him.

“Sleep hypnagogia. It is common.”

“Does it happen to you?”

He let out a low laugh like it was unheard of that such an ailment would ever befall him. “No.”

The next week passed by surprisingly uneventfully. I’d been expecting to be uncomfortable at work, but nothing much changed. Coffees showed up on my desk, Christina remained a bitch, and Ashley and I would meet up occasionally in the downstairs employee lounge. I didn’t fill her in on whatever was going on between myself and the boss. I couldn’t, seeing as I didn’t understand it completely myself.

Occasionally, I bumped into Josiah in the hall but somehow, it’d become easier not to look him in the eye, and thankfully, I didn’t nearly die of a cardiovascular event each time I was within twenty yards of him anymore.

Micha, on the other hand, seemed to take just a little more notice of me. I felt his eyes on me more than I had in the past. It wasn’t bothersome and I didn’t worry about it due to his obviously very close relationship with Josiah. It was just different than what I was used to.

While Josiah had declared that I was his in every way, he kept it out of the office. He remembered I’d said I wanted to get to know him, so he took me out of the office one day mid-week. His driver took us to Central Park, a place he said he liked to go.

He’d asked me what I liked to do, and when I told him I liked nature, it was the perfect place.

When he insisted we go feed the swans in the pond, it was easier to mentally move him from scary boss to almost normal boss. He’d had the nerve to be offended when I’d stated it was weird seeing him act like a person, but I was able to make him understand after some convincing.

When one goes around wearing sunglasses twenty-four-seven barking orders and physically intimidating others, well, that’s just not very welcoming. I mean, the guy had undeniably medieval and probably illegal employment conditions. He told me he had very good and very valid reasons for those terms and agreements, and I didn’t feel like arguing. The day had been too beautiful, and the colder months were coming soon. I didn’t want to ruin what had been turning into a nice time together by antagonizing him.

So, I dropped it and tried to pretend we were a regular couple. As we made our way to the water, I could feel him trying to glare at me from behind those ever-present shades when I began to softly sing.

It was just an old song about wearing sunglasses at night but then the corner of his mouth tilted. I could’ve sworn he laughed, but he’d turned away. At that moment, the organ in my chest softened a little bit. He was definitely more than a tyrannical boss and seductive criminal; he just hid it well.

“You do wear your sunglasses at night,” I pointed out, giggling.

I went to him, placed my hands on his sides and pulled him against me. He stiffened in surprise before he relaxed and wrapped a hand around the side of my neck. He hadn’t expected me to show him affection so quickly, I realized. Probably because I’d been giving him such a hard time all day. He’d been wanting to touch me, to hold me, and I hadn’t let him until now.

Josiah leaned down suddenly, crushing his mouth against mine and then tugged my body flush with his own. It felt like he’d burned a hole in my brain when his tongue invaded my mouth, and I lost all coherent thought.

He moved his grip to the back of my head, his other hand holding my hip while he plundered me. I’d never been kissed like this before, never been so devastated by another’s lips. It was mind-blowing and life changing, and Josiah was the only man who’d ever had this effect on me.

He tasted like heaven, or maybe hell, it didn’t matter. Not when I felt so safe and secure in his arms, not when I knew I was precisely where I was supposed to be this very minute, with my own personal ghost.

I probably swooned but he didn’t let me fall.

Another day, he took me to lunch at an adorable little bistro that served the best bread I’d ever tasted in my life. Apparently, they imported the ingredients from Italy and made fresh loaves multiple times a day. I sat there in a wicker chair greedily inhaling yet another slice while Josiah watched me, staring at my mouth.

“You really should try some,” I said, squirming under his focus.

He tilted his head. “I’m saving up my appetite,” he replied, his eyes shuttering. He’d taken off his glasses in an uncharacteristic move and my gaze flitted to the pair, perched on the edge of the table.

“What do you like to eat. Obviously, I enjoy bread,” I said with a laugh.

He smiled at me. “Meat.”

“What kind?”

“A few.”

“Not helpful,” I muttered. “What about sweets?”

“You would know better than most I thoroughly enjoy sweets,” he purred, his eyes trailing my movements with an intensity that almost felt physical. I pressed my thighs together as a shot of desire blossomed.

“Flirt,” I accused him, and grinned.

Changing the subject, he asked, “When did your father get sick?”

A brick landed in my belly, and I placed my chunk of bread down and took a sip of my drink. “A few years ago. He had a stroke at work, and then he had several more. No family history of strokes or anything like that, it just happened out of the blue.”

Josiah nodded sympathetically. “Is that how you ended up in New York?”

“It is. My mother left us, she met someone else right away and then one day she just said she was leaving and that was that.” I cleared my throat. “I don’t talk to her; but we were never close anyway.” I shrugged.

A flash of anger marred his face a moment before he said, “I’m sorry. Family is important. I am sorry yours didn’t fulfill their obligations.”

“It's okay, I’m over it. How did you end up here?”

He thought for a moment. “I heard of opportunities and decided I wanted a change. Micha did as well, and we purchased a failing company and turned it profitable.”

“I’d say it’s profitable for sure. You don’t have a girlfriend or wife?” It was my assumption he didn’t, but I hadn’t expected anything that happened recently.

His eyes snapped to mine. “I do now.” A pleasant chill ran down my back, but my tongue was tied.

“What, exactly, did you think my intentions were?” A hint of warning lay in the undercurrent of his voice. “If not to keep you?”

Looking down and focusing on the crust of bread in front of me, I bit my lip. “I... I don’t know. I mean, you didn’t say?”

My hand was suddenly clasped by his and his glasses were back on. “I made myself clear when I said I was going to have your love, do not take me lightly. I do not mean to disappoint you.”

Staring at his hand, I said, “You don’t disappoint me.”

“You’ll be by my side,” he said with finality, standing up. “Let’s go, I have things to attend to.”

He wrapped his arm lightly around my waist and guided me from the table. I left with five loaves of ciabatta at Josiah’s urging, and on his credit card before we left the restaurant, as well as more confusion. He never said I was his girlfriend—and he hadn’t asked me to be. So, what were we? People say things they don’t mean all the time and I was used to dramatic statements from men.

The next week, he took me to a massive bookstore with multiple levels and patiently let me browse for two hours while he sat in a chair like a mannequin. It was amazing how still he could be, without even his chest moving as he took a breath.

At one point, a child thought he was a statue and had started to climb into his lap before he deftly grabbed the little boy by the waist and swung him back down to the floor. The poor kid had a screaming meltdown while the parent glared daggers at us. They were probably angry I was hysterical with laughter; I couldn’t help it. Even the ever-stoic Josiah had looked entertained.

We left shortly after that, but not before he insisted on purchasing me a Tom Clancy novel to read to my father.

I got to see a lighter dimension of my boss, a thoughtful and occasionally mischievous side—if the statue stunt was any indication and soon, I felt myself beginning to really want a relationship with him rather than just toying with the idea.

As much as he shared with me, telling me his likes and dislikes, snippets of his childhood and all the other getting-to-know-you stuff people shared, it felt like he was holding back.

With all my own family stuff, and then Brett, I’d never truly considered having a real boyfriend or committing to anyone, but before I knew it, I began to care deeply for Josiah.

Then he told me he had to leave.